After a gut-wrenching loss to the eventual-champion Toronto Raptors in the Eastern Conference semifinals, the Philadelphia 76ers had themselves an eventful offseason. Despite losing Jimmy Butler, they retooled the roster by adding a five-time All-Star in Al Horford, one of the league’s best two-way perimeter players in Josh Richardson (in the Butler trade) and a defensive dynamo in rookie Matisse Thybulle. They were also able to re-sign Tobias Harris in free agency to play alongside young All-Stars Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. Now, expectations for the Sixers are extremely high entering 2019-20.
On paper, the Sixers now have one of the most — if not the most — formidable staring units in the entire NBA heading into the 2019-20 season. They have a third-year All-Star and triple-double machine running the point in Simmons, a versatile wing in Richardson, a three-level scorer on the offensive end in Harris, a multi-faceted forward capable of defending, passing, and finishing in Horford, and a consensus top-10 player in the league (when healthy) in Embiid.
With the roster that they have in place, the Sixers are widely expected to contend for their first Finals appearance since 2001, and their first NBA title since 1983, especially in what appears to be a watered-down Eastern Conference. With that said, here’s a look at five bold predictions for what could be the most memorable 76ers season in a long time.
1. Sixers will win the 2020 NBA title
This is bold predictions, right? Well, it doesn’t get much bolder than saying that a team will be the last squad standing when all is said and done, especially when said team hasn’t raised a championship banner in over 30 years. However, when it comes to the 2019-20 Philadelphia 76ers, it’s not that bold to say that they will win the title.
The Sixers have made it to the second round of the playoffs two seasons in a row, and they were a couple of unfriendly bounces away from a likely Eastern Conference finals appearance last season, and they improved (at least on paper) over the offseason, while the rest of the East largely stood pat, or went the other way. In consecutive summers, the conference lost LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard, and though it did add Kevin Durant, he’s expected to miss the entirety of the ’19-20 season.
Philadelphia possibly has the league’s most formidable first five in Embiid, Simmons, Harris, Horford and Richardson. It also has an improved bench that boasts reliable role players like James Ennis and Mike Scott, and an extremely promising first-year player in Thybulle, who was selected 20th overall in the 2019 draft. Thybulle has quickly turned heads in Philly, thanks largely to his advanced ability on the defensive end, and he has the chance to develop into a legitimate contributor for the team this season.
Overall, the Sixers are arguably the most talented team in the league heading into the season, and though there are certainly some worthwhile opponents in the East — teams like the Bucks, Celtics, and Pacers — they will have an excellent opportunity to come out of the conference. Once the Sixers do that, they have enough top-tier talent to win the whole thing, and give Philadelphia a reason to parade down Broad Street in June.
2. Sixers will have four NBA All-Stars
The Sixers had two All-Stars last year in Embiid and Simmons. That number could double this season. Embiid and Simmons are both likely locks to be selected again, assuming that they produce at the level that we have become accustomed to, but this year they will have some company as Harris and Horford will both be named All-Stars as well.
The Sixers are expected to be one of the league’s top teams record-wise, and notching close to 60 wins isn’t out of the question. If that’s the case, it’s likely that they will be rewarded with a high number of All-Stars, as has been the precedent in the past. Harris projects to be the team’s second-, or third-leading scorer, and a main offensive option, and he will get a nod as a result. Horford, meanwhile, is widely respected for his versatility and being a savvy veteran, as evidenced by his five previous selections.
Interestingly enough, Horford was previously on a team that had four All-Star selections: the 2014-15 Atlanta Hawks.
3. Brett Brown will win Coach of the Year
After all of the ups and downs that he has endured as the 76ers’ head coach, Brett Brown will finally get some major recognition for the work that he has put forth — in the form of the 2018-19 NBA Coach of the Year Award.
There were tough times early on, as Brown was largely hamstrung by the lack of talent that he had to work with, but as soon as he got a real roster he began to make things happen. He has taken the Sixers from the bottom of the East to the top in a couple of seasons with the passionate and dedicated approach he brings to the sideline. While some other coaches may have broken during the leaner years (the Sixers failed to win 20 games in three consecutive seasons from 2013-2016) Brown’s focus never wavered from the task of building the Sixers into a perennial contender. As a result, Brown has the respect of his players, and he has done an excellent job of instilling a defense-first philosophy in his troops.
Brown has led the Sixers to consecutive 50-win seasons, and if they push their win total up even higher this season (see below) and have one of the league’s top records, Brown will have some hardware to show for it.
4. Philadelphia will win 60 games, and possibly more
The Sixers won 51 games last season, and 52 the year before that. This season, they will take a leap and win 60 games for the first time since 1982-83 — the same season they last won an NBA title. A watered down Eastern Conference will help them achieve this feat, along with improved depth that should allow them to remain formidable even when Embiid heads to the bench, something that wasn’t the case the past couple of seasons.
After finishing third in the East two seasons in a row, the Sixers are specifically gunning for the top seed this season in order to secure home-court advantage through the conference finals; something Brown is making no secret of.
“I want the No. 1 seed,” Brown said last month. “So, what does that mean? To me it just means what it means. I want to go for the No. 1 seed. Of course, we’re all gonna say the same thing, ‘Not to the detriment of Joel’s health, and maybe not to the detriment, at times, of developing players and all the other things that I’m not thinking through right now.’ We’ll say that, and this is true. But, I will put out there now — I want to get the No. 1 seed.”
The Sixers have enough talent to win 60, and with the stated goal of securing pole position in the East in mind, they will have a reason to keep their foot on the gas throughout the entirety of the regular season.
5. Ben Simmons will lead the NBA in assists per game
Simmons is one of the best passers in the league, and he holds a career average of nearly eight assists per game (7.9). Last season, he was tied for fifth in the league with a per-game average of 7.7 assists, a number that can be expected to climb this season. It’s doable considering the talent that the Sixers have surrounded him with, combined with his natural development as a young player.
The Sixers will continue to rely heavily on Simmons when it comes to shot creation for others, as they have in the past. Plus, unlike some of the other top distributors in the league, Simmons doesn’t have to share the court with another primary passer, like Russell Westbrook and James Harden in Houston, and Jrue Holiday and Lonzo Ball in New Orleans. Simmons will have ample opportunity to drop dimes, and he will drop more, per game, than anyone else this season.
